We’re hearing that a Boston based quant fund has been liquidating its positions today, perhaps concerned about margin calls from its brokers. So far, we haven’t been able to track down a name. J W Henry & Co are the only quants in Boston who come to mind but they haven’t returned our calls yet. And it hardly seems fair to tag them as liquidating positions just because they are the only folks who came to mind. Then again, four out of five of their “programs” had losses, last year. Two had double digit losses.
Update: Probably not JWH. Assets under management down below $300 million so probably not enough to move the markets. And we’re told that they’ve had a gangbuster January. (Although JWH still hasn’t returned our phone calls. Not cool at all.)
But new clues have emerged. DealBreaker is told that State Street prime brokerage services the fund. Numeric, which is based somewhere near MIT, has emerged as a favorite contender among the rumor mongers.

Comments (39)

  1. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 2:24 PM

    impressed you are abe to pull that name out of your hat, i am totally going to run with that rumor now

  2. Posted by Loomis | January 23, 2008 at 2:36 PM

    Its Loomis Sales… I work in the Chicago office and shit is hitting the fan

  3. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 2:38 PM

    JWH the namesake lives in Boston but the firm is out of Boca Raton. While they are systems traders the term “quant shop” is rarely applied to people like him. Also, in his style of trading they only have about 20% of their money committed to margining positions. So while they might have margin calls, it’s highly unlikely they wouldn’t be able to meet them.

  4. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 2:39 PM

    Henry is in Boca, not Boston

  5. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 2:41 PM

    except that its spelled Sayles…. So maybe its not Loomis… Plus, do they have quant funds?

  6. Posted by Loomis | January 23, 2008 at 2:41 PM

    Its Loomis Sales

  7. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 2:42 PM

    except that its spelled Sayles…. So maybe its not Loomis… Plus, do they have quant funds?

  8. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 2:45 PM

    I rest my case. One misspelled message could be a typo. Two is from someone who knows nothing.

  9. Posted by lurker | January 23, 2008 at 2:48 PM

    @2:38 – unless this is the second or third margin call on the position in which case they have big problems.

  10. Posted by lurker | January 23, 2008 at 2:50 PM

    @2:38 – unless this is the second or third margin call on the position in which case they have big problems.

  11. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 2:52 PM

    anyone know if pyramis has put their quant dollars to work yet … ?

  12. Posted by Quanster | January 23, 2008 at 2:56 PM

    fidelity & pyramxis, numeric, arrowstreet, bogle (son of vauguard founder), acadian, MFC, Lomis, PanAgora are all boston based Quant funds. Which one is it?

  13. Posted by annon | January 23, 2008 at 3:09 PM

    that rumor came out a few hours ago as, what helped push the market to its low. it is rumored to be Numeric out of Boston

  14. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 3:10 PM

    Loomis Sales is a plastics manufacturer. I hope they don’t have a quant fund.

  15. Posted by annon | January 23, 2008 at 3:12 PM

    that rumor came out a few hours ago as, what helped push the market to its low. it is rumored to be Numeric out of Boston

  16. Posted by Anominous | January 23, 2008 at 3:32 PM

    y’all is missing the news about NY regulators and the bond insurers. that is what is moving the market.

  17. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 3:36 PM

    @3:32PM — That is correct.
    Time to kill off the rest of these vicious shorts screwing around in the financials.

  18. Posted by jag | January 23, 2008 at 3:53 PM

    Holy crap, Numeric??!! We’re fucked.

  19. Posted by someone (maybe) in the know | January 23, 2008 at 3:59 PM
  20. Posted by jag | January 23, 2008 at 4:03 PM

    That article’s from 2007, dipshit.

  21. Posted by someone (not) in the know | January 23, 2008 at 4:07 PM

    wow, and it’s only wednesday…
    i need to stop drinking on weeknights.

  22. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 4:10 PM

    @4:07 Well done. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

  23. Posted by Anonymosity | January 23, 2008 at 4:17 PM

    Amaranth!!

  24. Posted by mrpink | January 23, 2008 at 4:25 PM

    Bear Stearns High Yield Enhanced Leverage Risk Managed Equity Volatility Global Value Wealth Exponential Growth Arbitrage Oppotunities Fund
    Managed by Ralph Cioffi, Nick Maounis, with Brian Hunter as the consultant.

  25. Posted by jag | January 23, 2008 at 4:28 PM

    mrpink: I sure hope they have some Nobel laureates and former Salomon arb guys on their board.

  26. Posted by mrpink | January 23, 2008 at 4:28 PM

    Bear Stearns High Yield Enhanced Leverage Risk Managed Equity Volatility Global Value Wealth Exponential Growth Arbitrage Oppotunities Fund
    Managed by Ralph Cioffi, Nick Maounis, with Brian Hunter as the consultant.

  27. Posted by mrpink | January 23, 2008 at 4:31 PM

    Sorry about the double post, got a 500 Server Error the first time I posted it…

  28. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 4:31 PM

    Who cares Pink. I wanna know what you think about Lax Boy Tom. I’d do him. You?

  29. Posted by Arup Data | January 23, 2008 at 4:32 PM

    It is Numeric Bogle Jr. is taking us down using his father’s money. Oh God Ram. help us.

  30. Posted by mrpink | January 23, 2008 at 4:35 PM

    Anon@4:31
    I’d have to get a bigger photo of him (i.e. Tanner-size) to make a full decision. For now, we’ll say i’m leaning 70% in favor of yes based on the available information I have.
    He’s in derivatives too… Bess, what kind? Equity? Fixed Income? I need to start calling around to the desks ROFL
    Time to do our Due Diligence on this Lax Boy :D
    -mrp

  31. Posted by Anonymous | January 23, 2008 at 4:45 PM

    Pink: you’re much more selective than I am. I like the face and see enough from the couch pic to determine that his stomach is flat, unlike some of these boys who consume far too much beer. Plus I’m intrigued by that big nose. He’s obviously no Tanner, but def looks like he’d be a good tumble.

  32. Posted by mrpink | January 23, 2008 at 5:59 PM

    Well, having a lil something to hold onto is not necessarily a bad thing. If you can recall, our pal Tanner had a small dollop of ‘love handles’ on the sides. But, that’s just my opinion!
    G’nite mates, I’m stuck on this damned desk for God knows how long.
    -mrp

  33. Posted by God | January 23, 2008 at 6:01 PM

    This post proves any schmuck can post under any name.

  34. Posted by mrpink - The Devil | January 23, 2008 at 6:03 PM

    Why yes Einstein! We Can!

  35. Posted by mrpink | January 23, 2008 at 6:13 PM

    Why yes Einstein! We Can!
    -mrp

  36. Posted by ses | January 23, 2008 at 6:29 PM

    hey “someone (maybe) in the know” – Numeric closed down its mutual funds last year (February 2007) – old news, and it had nothing to do with performance or margin calls – dumbass. Get your facts straight.

  37. Posted by vegas baby | January 23, 2008 at 6:30 PM

    hey “someone (maybe) in the know” – Numeric closed down its mutual funds last year (February 2007) – old news, and it had nothing to do with performance or margin calls – dumbass. Get your facts straight.

  38. Posted by lovequant | January 24, 2008 at 10:18 AM

    Lots of other quants in Boston… PHZ which is owned partly by Goldman thru Commodities Corp comes to mind also. 100% quant and since GS is doing SO well in quant perhaps it has rubbed off!

  39. Posted by Anonymous | January 24, 2008 at 2:56 PM

    Heard that this was Numeric but on behalf of Soc Gen – they had to raise some cash and fast…

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